I purposely avoided immediately recapping Saturday's loss to Wisconsin, mostly because I wanted to gain a little perspective and let my emotions subside rather than inadvertently writing a rash or unfair assessment. I won't lie — that loss was a tough one for me, just as it was for many Cougar fans. I think many of us felt like we had a real shot at a statement win over a highly ranked team, a feeling that was only amplified by the close score at halftime.
Of course, we all know what happened in the second half. It wasn't pretty stuff, and it understandably altered some people's perceptions of what this team is capable of. Immediately following the loss, many fans aired their disappointment on Twitter, some even going so far as saying that Wisconsin wasn't all that good, and that BYU doesn't have what it takes to compete at the top of the West Coast Conference this year. It was one big online pity party.
I guess I can understand those reactions. It's never fun to watch your team lose by nearly 20 points, especially when they go down in flames so quickly. Add to that the helpless feeling of watching Wisconsin nail 13 3-pointers on the night, and it's enough to drive anyone temporarily insane. It's easy to get a little overemotional.
But now that the initial reaction is over, it's time for everyone to calm down and assess what really happened in Chicago on Saturday night and what it says about this team going forward.
